shit's going down in thorne (what else is new)

[funbreaker]

[ It's early evening when Thancred's message arrives, sent specifically to Istredd, Kyle, Stephen, and Yennefer. These are the people he's identified as the most at risk based on the note he received. To narrow it down to a number that could safely travel without attracting attention in the night had been its own monumental task, and he can only hope he's gotten it right.

Assuming all of them even agree to Jolene's offer. ]

Meet me in the secure wing of Istredd's domain in half an hour.
It's urgent.

[ Did he ask Istredd about this? No. Yet it's where they've had private meetings in the past, such as the one with their allies in the Free Cities, and so it seems the best option. Istredd will understand that if Thancred is invoking this, it's because it's serious. ]

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[funbreaker]

[ Thancred arrives to Istredd's domain twenty minutes after he sent the message, confident that Istredd will meet him there and allow him into the warded part of his library. This is about as secure as a meeting between Summoned could possibly be, and while it does bleed away some of the anxiety induced by the secret message he received, the urgency is still very much present in his gait and on his face as they make their way behind closed doors. ]

Things are coming to a head.

[ That's all he says by way of explanation until the rest arrive. Once Kyle, Stephen, and Yennefer have filed in, each looking some version of stoic, Thancred turns to the four of them. He shuts his eyes for a beat, then plants both hands on the large wooden table situated in the center of the so-called reading room. ]

I received a message minutes before I sent that message, from Jolene Sybell. She has reason to believe that there will be an incident in the castle tonight, some manner of power play. The details are scant, but my assumption is Sidwell and his people will make an attempt to oust the royal family and seize the castle for themselves.

[ Is this a good thing? A bad thing? It's hard to know. None of them are particularly thrilled with the actions of the Queen, but will Admiral Sidwell be any better? It's entirely possible he could be worse, that his military alignment will lead to all-out war with the Free Cities.

There isn't time to discuss all the political details. Thancred's gaze moves from one face to another as he heaves out a sigh. This all feels far too familiar for comfort, transporting him back to that night in Ul'dah. Himeka and Alphinaud, betrayed; all of them, forced to flee... ]

She worries that we will be caught up in this for our connections to the court and our dealings with the crown and its allies. She's offering us a way out.

[magicalarchaeologist]

[ Surprised by the message, Istredd slipped into his domain right away, assuming he's about to have guests and he needs the necessary precautions. It really is just a flick of his mind to open it to others, but the 'it's urgent' has led him to enough concern. He is there when Thancred arrives and the door to his private study opens for them. When the others get there, they'll find that a lit path is in front of them toward the shelves, and they'll step inside soon after. It's a more personal space than his larger halls, with chairs set out for the visitors if they want to sit.

Istredd himself is up on his feet. There is a bar if someone ends up needing a drink. He waits until the rest of them get there, and then locks the space. He locks the outside of the library too, so no one can even wander the place. It's rarely done, but this seems like the right time.

Startled by the information, he processes it as best as he can, glancing over at the others. ]

And what way out is that?

babiest of tags

[ushiri]

[ Kahlil arrived not long after the others, finding a place to stand off to the side of Istredd. There's slight tension in his stance. This isn't the first time someone's mentioned the possibility that the Sidwells could be planning a coup. The king being steamrolled by the queen and her relatives isn't entirely new, though, and there's been little concrete proof to act on, only the re-positioning of guards.

Either way, he doesn't like the idea of fleeing, when it means leaving the others to deal with the fallout.

He waits for the others to chime in or Thancred to answer Istredd's question. ]

[vixening]

[ yennefer's entrance isn't nervous, exactly, though somewhere layered in the casual familiarity that she carries with her whenever she walks into istredd's domain is a tension she wouldn't normally bring. for thancred to send a message saying that they need to meet, that it's urgent, and to pick a horizon domain on top of it all - yennefer's mind spins. the memories may not be real, may be too many to count, but still yennefer's feels herself sift through them as she returns to her room to meditate, memories of a coup, of the fall of a kingdom. to-

stepping through the door of istredd's private study immediately has that tension in the forefront as she meets istredd's eyes and moves on to the bar. to wait as the others join. kyle's entrance grabs her attention for a bit longer than the others, trying to piece together what this could all be about, until thancred starts speaking. until they all listen, thancred's hands on the table, as he mentions a coup.

yennefer stills - enough of her having expected this would come some day, and still somehow feeling wholly unprepared. she does not look to anyone else when he mentions being caught up in their connections with the crown, her eyes on thancred alone.

istredd's question is a good one. one that yennefer was thinking herself. it's soon after he's asked it that she follows up with her own, her arms crossed over her chest, wound tight. ]

And how did she come by this information?

[sorser]

[Stephen knows, perhaps, that it’s never anything good. Maybe it’s just in his nature to be wary (and weary) and cynical, but he arrives with every line in his body taut. Eyes casting over the room, nearing the bar where Yennefer sits — though he takes no seat of his own, simply leaning a hip against it with his arms crossed tightly at his chest.

He’s right, of course. It’s nothing good. It's a coup, an upheaval headed straight toward where they live.

Stephen closes his eyes, sighing softly sometime mid-explanation. He lets the others ply their questions, moving the possibilities around in his head. Already trying to judge which actions they should take, now, even though it’s too early to come to any real conclusion.

As much as he hates to toss one more question onto Thancred’s plate before they’ve truly begun, he supposes that’s the burden his friend must bear for taking the lead. And so—]

“Caught up in this.” [Wry.] Say it like it is. Punished, you mean.

[funbreaker]

[ It is no surprise that all of them are taking this seriously, that all of them are just as wound up as Thancred feels — this is the exact sort of thing they've been dreading and anticipating for years now. In that sense, they should feel prepared, and yet can you ever truly be ready for that sensation of a rug being pulled out from under you?

They also have questions, most of which he can't answer. He keeps his gaze on Yennefer at first, with the way that her eyes are boring into him, but he can't tell her (or any of them) any more than what he read. ]

I don't know much. I found the letter in my room [ here he briefly looks to Stephen, as that room is now the one they share ], and it was clearly enchanted. It burned to ash as soon as I finished reading it. [ An obvious sign that Jolene is taking due caution here, and that she understands full well the danger they're in. ]

It said that events were in motion under our feet and that I should gather any who have made themselves friends of the court, but that the "mule" could only take a few of us.

[ Which had left him in the uncomfortable position of having to pick and choose. ]

This all happens tonight. She set a time. We have a little over five hours to decide what we will do, now.

[ Thancred nods to Stephen, not missing how he pressed right to the heart of the matter. ]

My worry is that "punished" is putting it lightly.

[ It's not like Thorne hasn't done terrible things to Summoned in the past. Who's to say they won't decide to make an example of them? ]

[magicalarchaeologist]

[ They all knew that power in Thorne was tenuous and that things could go wrong at every time. The ground beneath them has never been solid. They'd even talked about throwing a coup themselves to handle the queen after what she did to Libertas, but it never seemed like a serious option. Istredd has said before his concern with taking out the queen was the power vacuum she would leave behind, and the weakness it would put Thorne into. That is exactly what an admiral would step in to control.

His mind is whirling and he starts pacing behind his desk. Significant danger. He has made himself valuable to Ambrose and therefore the crown, and all of them have. He understands that Thancred had to make a choice. Now they do. Leaving for him is not an option, but he doesn't say that just yet. ]

Where would we go? Did she mention that?

[ushiri]

[ Kahlil remains quiet. Whether he fully trusts this warning and offer or not doesn't matter, he supposes. Neither does Istredd's next question. He can already guess his friend isn't going to leave Lucifer behind. Which makes his decision for him, as though he really had a choice.

He gives Thancred a grim look, and a tilt of his head. ]

I appreciate the offer, but I can't leave yet. [ Before anyone can object - ] I have my own way out if it comes down to it.

[ He doesn't rely on portals like the mages and he has his brooch to get past border wards, although he's not going to rely on that functioning for much longer. But he's not stupid, he's putting forth more confidence than he has that he'll be able to skip out. And his abilities aren't exactly suitable for helping anyone else out. ]

[vixening]

[ thancred does meet her eyes, and it's the confirmation she needs that there isn't anything more to be read. to understand. she feels a spark of anger rise in the back of her throat, something she's very familiar with. fear.

this was coming - they all knew as much. no one who has any concept of how royals work, how long kingdoms do and don't last, thought this would last forever. but having it so soon after their time at the singularity...

years. years spent within these walls. and now what?

thancred continues with what he knows - the enchanted note, the timeline, the implications. he mentions a mule and it takes quite a bit of effort to keep yennefer from snorting, just because it all sounds so ridiculous. ]

And what if it's a trap?

[ because there's no question for yennefer - she had taken her place with the queen knowing it would be precarious. knowing that it would provide her with as much as it would risk her. she made that choice knowing what could happen, knowing that at some point this exact situation would arise, and yet...

thancred brought them all together because they all are at risk, but yennefer knows to what extent her own neck is on the line. ]

And when did we decide Jolene Sybell was someone we could trust?

[ yennefer shakes her head. no- none of this sounds worth it. ]

Side bar: Istredd/Yennefer

[magicalarchaeologist]

[Istredd sends this telepathically after talking out loud.]

I know why you stayed behind before, but you don't have to do that now. I can look out for Ciri's interests here, for all three of you.

[ Ciri, Geralt, and Yennefer. All people he cares for, in varying degrees. ]

It may be wherever you go you'll be able to look out for her there too, in a different way. It's the smart play, you know it is.

[vixening]

Do not patronize me.
You hate court, and of the two of us, we both know whose better at it.
Why would I leave the machinations of this one to you, alone?

[ she’s being petty, harsh in ways she doesn’t need to be, especially towards istredd of all people. but he would know better than anyone what that means. she frowns, her mouth twisted. ]

I’ve been here in this castle for years and I won’t be driven from it just because some girl thinks someone is going to make a power play.
This is hardly the first coup I’ve survived and it won’t be the last.

And do not start that possibility shit, either.
We have no information, no idea, where Jolene plans to put us if we did decide to go.
I’m not taking that risk.
And I’m not leaving the Summoned here to deal with whatever fallout will come to them.
Not when there are so many that aren’t equipped.

I’m not going.

[magicalarchaeologist]

I've gotten good at it over the past two years, Yennefer, and you know that.
I chose to join the game, and I've done well enough to be here, haven't I?

[ Right there with her and the others. He's taken almost too well to the court, apparently. ]

Kyle and I can look after everyone. We're more than capable.
Stop underestimating me.
Sidwell has been planning this for months, we've all been witness to it.
You're going to fight us just to fight us, a part of you already knows what must be done.

[vixening]

Doing well enough and doing well are very different conversations.
But if you're looking for praise- then sure. Yes.
You've saddled up with Ambrose quite well for yourself.
And I'm sure that'll serve you when the tides turn and his head is on a pike.
Unless he's the fulcrum for how Sidwell's making his moves.
Now wouldn't that be interesting.

[ he has done well in court, and yennefer hates it. not that she hates his talents, but that she knows it's the furthest thing he's wanted to do. that it isn't who he wants to be. that he's had to, because she can't do it herself, couldn't have done it herself, and now look where that's led them. she's angry, and with istredd's direct conversation, he's become the target of that anger. something he perhaps doesn't deserve, but should have known would be coming. ]

I'm not underestimating you, you fool.
You're the one who told me I shouldn't face this court alone.
And now you want me to leave you here? To handle that, as well as everyone else?
You have not spent months down in those cells. You don't know what they're capable of.
And I won't leave you to suffer for what I know is waiting for you.

[magicalarchaeologist]

[ He sighs openly in her head because he knows he is getting the brunt of her anger. And he knows that she hates he's had to play the game so well. He doesn't love it either, but he does it because he must. She understands that much. He's stubborn though, as much as she is. ]

I am the Summoned with the most research on the Singularity who has been willing to share it.

I am confident I am not going to be Sidwell's true target.

Yenna, you can do no one any good if he decides to make a martyr out of you.

Ciri and Geralt need you alive, they don't need you here.

For all you know, you're going to a place where you can shore up support and make a difference.

[ Now he gets annoyed. ]

Do you think I want you to go? I love you. Who knows when we'll be able to see each other next?

But I trust that we will find each other again as we always have. And that this is the right course of action.

[vixening]

[ the open sigh is going to get a hard stare in return, directly through in their connection. because she is angry, and he should know she's angry, and yet still he says all the things he knows will anger her further.

it does remind her of their time back in school, when their explosive tempers would meet in the caves underneath aretuza. she's as comfortable here in this fight as she would be in a casual exchange, except for the topic at hand. ]

You are a Summoned who has information that they can take from you with or without your consent.
Confidence is what gets you killed, or worse.
And why would I be the target? Why not you? Or any of the other Summoned?
For all we know, Lucifer could be on the next pyre solely for the fact he's an example of who the Queen summoned.
Or River, or Jack.

And do not bring them into this.
Don't you think I know what they need?

We don't know the first thing about where we're going.
We're as likely to end up at the bottom of the fucking ocean as we are in a place where we can garner support.

[ but there it is - there is his annoyance. his reaction. that deep-seeded part of yennefer feels vindicated by it, because at the very least she is not overreacting. not if she can coax istredd to anger. ]

Is that the right course of action?
Because you've decided it to be?

I'm staying here, Istredd.

[ and she ends the conversation there - returning instead to the table, to the others. she all but snaps at stephen, acknowledges thancred's choice, and then as they all turn to leave and istredd catches up to her, she glares back.

when her eyes open, she is inside her classroom, her office. the door is closed and the wards remain up, a lock set in place just in case anyone decided to try and come find her here while she was meditating. she misses that about the illusionary centuries, the ease in which they could enter and leave the horizon without the preparations. still, there are other things on her mind as she stands and starts to get to work- searching through her stash of alchemic potions and ingredients for what she wants to send with thancred and stephen, the information giving her a sort of restless energy as she moves.

she knows istredd will find her, but she is not going to make it easy for him to continue this argument. she never has. ]

[magicalarchaeologist]

[ Istredd is not surprised when she cuts him off but he does shoot her a very annoyed look, at least right before she stomps off (aka leaves the Horizon) and he has to follow her out. Thancred and Stephen know they are leaving so he figures they can talk together, but it's his responsibility now to focus on her. The hard part is walking slowly to her office rather than running and getting attention, although he maybe walks a little more briskly than usual.

He is feeling a lot of things simultaneously. Fear is a heavy one, for the Summoned he is responsible for, not knowing when the coup begins or how it will go down. Will they just be locked off in their rooms until it's over? Will they be in the dungeons to keep them from fighting? Istredd doesn't know, which is why he has to stay there and be ready for it. His mind is reeling, making plans on the fly. Lucifer, Cassian, Geralt. He can't warn too many people so there is no panic.

But he has to deal with her first.

While he tried to be careful not running to her office, when he gets there, he drops some of his caution. It is well known the two of them are lovers. If anyone hears him slamming on the door, which he does now, they'll think it's a lover's quarrel. Which it is, technically. ]

Open the fucking door.

[ Knocking quietly and begging her to let him in is not going to help. He's doing what she would if the tables were reversed. ]

[vixening]

[ she does not stomp, thank you, but she also isn't very casual or cool about her frustrations. the annoyed look doesn't even get a reaction from her, as she storms off / wakes back up within the castle.

she bursts into motion because the restless energy will not calm, but it is a few moments later that she does find herself stilling, that her eyes turn to the rest of the room and all that she has packed inside. her time in this castle is hardly the longest she's been in a single court, and yet everything feels slightly off. like the information alone has shifted her entire understanding of this place, and her place within it.

the banging on the door rips her out of the trance, istredd's voice sharp and edged and it does all that it needs to do to bring her back to the moment. to the familiar feeling of their quarrel. ]

Open it yourself. [ her voice is loud, considering the evening hours. she is certain there are servants about that can hear them. but yelling back and forth with istredd is just another bit of court-life gossip.

she does not open the door, but she knows what istredd is capable of. knows that he can work his way through her wards and locks if he wanted to. and maybe this is partially her being petulant. maybe this is her buying time to build up her resolve. maybe... well. it could be a lot of things. ]

following istredd and yennefer's chat

[funbreaker]

[ Thancred bids everyone stay safe and then leaves Istredd's domain shortly after, aware that he and Stephen have much work to do. They need to pack but lightly, taking only the essentials. The privacy of Stephen's room allows them to coordinate in relative safety; the room is warded, Thancred knows, and they will have to hope that is good enough.

But while he hopes that Istredd will be able to help Yennefer see reason, he doesn't know if it will be enough. Nor is he convinced that his own words will sway her any more effectively than a close companion from her home star.

Yet he owes it to her to try, and so when his bag is packed and he feels as prepared as he can be in this situation, he sends out a message to her. ]

Yennefer,
I would like to speak with you before I leave. Let me know when you are free to do so.

[ If he dresses it up as bidding her farewell, perhaps she'll agree to the meeting, though he's certain she'll know the truth of his purpose all the same. ]

[vixening]

[ it really does depend on how thancred wants to define 'see reason'. especially where it concerns yennefer and changing her mind. still, the state in which thancred reaches out to her, she is thinking about things differently. she is feeling differently than she had when she first stormed out of istredd's horizon, but whether or not that means her mind is changed is still up for debate.

still, when thancred's words come, it is after her conversation with istredd. after her exchange with geralt. part of yennefer almost expects the script to be geralt once again trying to press her, but the yennefer in the different scrawl immediately tells her otherwise.

the message is very casual, tied up to look like a goodbye, but yennefer does suspect. ]

I am free now, Thanced.
If you aren't too busy with your preparations.

[funbreaker]

I believe I'm as ready as I can be for what's to come, given the circumstances.

[ Even here, he is being vague. It seems like the safest option. ]

Shall I come to your chambers?

[ In truth, he's already on the way. ]

[vixening]

I am here.

[ and she is. after her conversation with istredd and geralt, yennefer had packed all that would be of any use from her classroom. at first, the packing had been for stephen to take with him, given she has no idea where it is they are to escape to and what will be available to them when they do.

now... well. she wonders. she considers. she, possibly, has packed a bag full of things stephen wouldn't know the first thing about. the bag sits in her room now, atop the table in her small sitting area, and yennefer stares at it from where she sits on her couch, glass of wine in hand, waiting for thancred to arrive. ]

[funbreaker]

[ It doesn't take long for Thancred to reach her chambers. That being said, he does take care to make certain the corridor is clear before he steps up to her door and knocks lightly on it. He suspects Istredd was here already, and he'd rather not start a rash of rumors about Yennefer receiving so many visitors on this particular night.

As soon as she speaks up to indicate he can come in, he opens the door and shuts it tight behind him. Thancred takes note of the packed bag immediately, catching that Yennefer was staring at it before her gaze turns to him.

He won't say anything about it. Not yet, at least. ]

A little over an hour, now. [ Until he and Stephen must head for the rendezvous point. Thancred heaves out a sigh and moves toward Yennefer, taking a seat in the chair that sits diagonal to the couch, allowing him to face her. ] To be honest, this all brings back memories.

[ He lifts a hand to rub at his eyes. He's been here before, and that time they didn't even have these few hours of warning. ]

[vixening]

[ he would suspect correctly - though istredd had found her in her classroom, rather than her chambers. her and geralt's conversation had been during her walk across the castle. and now- now she had a bag packed despite not speaking to anyone directly about her plans, and now thancred was stepping inside her door, his eyes falling to the bag before turning to her.

she gestures to bottle of wine on her desk in the corner, an offering for thancred that he has taken her up on before, though she's not sure if the alcohol would help or hurt the current circumstances.

yennefer's brow furrows, curious. ] The secret escape? Or stealing away to my room in the middle of the night? [ it's an attempt at a joke, though it lacks her usual bite - the weight of the next few hours a thick fog around the castle. and now, especially, in her room. ]

[funbreaker]

[ Thancred does eye the bottle of wine for a good few seconds, considering, but he doesn't want to be anything other than razor-sharp for what awaits, so perhaps that isn't the best idea at the moment. He gives a small shake of his head, a quiet decline.

Tired as Yennefer's tone might be, Thancred can tell that her questions are meant as a jest. He lets out a scoff that doesn't quite make it to a laugh; even he struggles to make light of this current situation, particularly when it brings make so many memories that sting even now. ]

Both, I suppose. [ He remembers when he'd come to see her at some late hour when half their number had been abducted, how they had taken a moment to catch their breath together — and how it had finally felt like he was forgiven for what he did in Nocwich.

He reaches one hand up to rub at his eyes. ]

There was a time when Himeka and I, along with the rest of our order, were falsely implicated in an assassination attempt on the sultana of a powerful city-state. [ He drops his hand and stares directly at Yennefer as he weaves the tale. ] There was more to the plot than that, mind, and I will not bog you down with all the details, but the salient point is that we had to suddenly flee the city, even using dangerous magic to escape pursuit.

[ There's a pause as he indulges in a wry, mirthless smile and looks away. ]

In fact, that was what led to my losing the ability to cast magic.

[vixening]

[ that is one of the many differences they face - thancred, who needs to be razor-sharp, and yennefer, who can't even consider what is to come while sober. he shakes his head, and yennefer lifts a shoulder, a silent your loss.

thancred says both, with a scoff that barely sounds more than an exhale, and her eyes fall to her own glass. she knows than thancred has come for a reason, a purpose, but she's not entirely certain in what way she needs to be prepared.

while his mind drifts to the last time he snuck off into the dark of her room, yennefer's is on tonight. on the conversations she's already had, on conversations she wonders are to come, on the heavy weight of fate that feels like it's encircling her even now. thancred starts in on a story of him and himeka, another summoned from...solvunn, she thinks? it's enough to pull her attention away from her glass, which means that her eyes are already on him when he drops his hand to stare back at her.

it is not lost on her, the parallel details, similar stories. it's the last of that story that has her brow arching, tired as her own mirthless smile grows. ]

I don't know if I was aware you had an ability to cast magic. [ which... she does not know if that's true or teasing, unwilling to go back through all of her and thancred's many conversations. perhaps that's her own fault, the fact she doesn't remember something like this, but the fact he's looked away makes yennefer think there's something more - to his story, to the reason he's come to talk to her.

she gives him a moment, then another, before she takes a sip of wine. ] If you're honestly trying to convince me, Thancred, this is not helping your case.